Molten glass transporter, transport cup, endcap, and methods

Abstract

A molten glass transport cup includes a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, and an endcap to cover or close, and uncover or open, the conduit outlet. The cup also may include a fluid exhaust outlet between the conduit and the endcap, and one or more fluid supply passages having one or more interior inlets located radially inwardly of the exhaust outlet. A molten glass transporter may include the cup and a conduit carrier including a sleeve at least partially circumscribing the cup. A related method may include receiving a molten glass charge in the cup in contact with an inner surface of the conduit, supplying fluid into the cup to displace at least a portion of the glass charge away from the transport cup, controlling an amount of the fluid between the charge and the transport cup, and moving the endcap to permit the charge to exit the conduit.

1 . A molten glass transport cup, comprising:
 a conduit having an inlet, an outlet, and a passage extending between the inlet and the outlet along a conduit passage axis;   an endcap to selectively cover and uncover the conduit outlet, and being movable relative to the conduit to a closed position where the endcap covers the conduit outlet, and to an open position where the endcap uncovers the conduit outlet;   a fluid exhaust outlet between the conduit and the endcap; and   one or more fluid supply passages having one or more interior inlets located radially inwardly of the fluid exhaust outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The molten glass transport cup of  claim 1 , wherein an interior junction is established between the endcap and the conduit and the one or more interior inlets of the one or more fluid supply passages are located proximate the interior junction. 
     
     
         3 . The molten glass transport cup of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluid supply passages are located radially inward of a side periphery of the endcap, and are open to the upper end in communication with the conduit outlet at a location that overlaps or is spaced radially inward from the junction defined between the conduit and the endcap when the endcap is in the closed position. 
     
     
         4 . A molten glass transporter, comprising:
 the molten glass transport cup of  claim 1 ;   a conduit carrier in which the conduit is carried;   an endcap carrier on which the endcap is carried; and   an endcap actuator coupled to the endcap carrier, and activatable to move the endcap to uncover and to cover the outlet of the conduit.   
     
     
         5 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 4 , wherein when the actuator is activated, the endcap swings, translates, or articulates away from the outlet of the conduit. 
     
     
         6 . A molten glass transport cup endcap, comprising:
 a lower end;   an upper end axially opposite of the lower end; and   a plurality of fluid supply passages extending between the lower and upper ends and having lower openings open to the lower end and upper openings open to the upper end.   
     
     
         7 . The endcap of  claim 6 , wherein the upper end includes an end surface and an oblique surface obliquely extending between the end surface and the side periphery, wherein the plurality of fluid supply passages includes a circular array of fluid supply passages extending through the oblique surface and wherein the plurality of fluid supply passages includes a circular array of fluid supply passages extending through the oblique surface. 
     
     
         8 . The endcap of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of fluid supply passages extend through the endcap at one or more oblique angles with respect to the conduit axis. 
     
     
         9 . The endcap of  claim 6 , wherein the lower end includes a base surface and a fluid pocket in the base surface in open fluid communication with the lower openings of the plurality of fluid supply passages. 
     
     
         10 . The endcap of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of fluid supply passages includes an inner circular array of fluid supply passages and an outer circular array of fluid supply passages positioned radially outward of the inner circular array of fluid supply passages. 
     
     
         11 . The endcap of  claim 6 , wherein the endcap is axially split into halves having mating faces, wherein the fluid exhaust outlet is established between the mating faces. 
     
     
         12 . A molten glass transport cup, comprising:
 a conduit including
 an inlet, 
 an outlet, and 
 a passage extending between and open to the inlet and the outlet and partly established by an interior surface at the outlet, 
   the endcap of  claim 6 , cooperative with the outlet of the conduit to establish a transport cup cavity, wherein at least one passage of the plurality of fluid supply passages overlaps, or is disposed radially inward and proximate with respect to, the interior surface of the conduit at the outlet of the conduit.   
     
     
         13 . The molten glass transport cup of  claim 12 , wherein a fluid exhaust outlet is established between the outlet end of the conduit and the upper end of the endcap. 
     
     
         14 . A molten glass transporter, comprising:
 a transport cup including
 a conduit including an inlet and an outlet, and 
 an endcap movably carried underneath the conduit to open and close the outlet of the conduit; and 
   a conduit carrier carrying the transport cup therein and including a sleeve at least partially circumscribing the conduit of the transport cup.   
     
     
         15 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve of the conduit carrier is radially spaced away from the conduit to establish a gas volume. 
     
     
         16 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 15 , wherein the conduit carrier further includes a gas baffle radially spaced between and away from the sleeve and the conduit of the transport cup. 
     
     
         17 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 16 , wherein the conduit carrier further includes one or more gas inlets, and
 one or more gas outlets,   wherein a circuitous path is established from the one or more gas inlets,   circumferentially around the baffle and down to a lower end of the baffle, down and around at least a portion of the baffle that is axially spaced from a corresponding portion of the sleeve, radially inwardly toward the conduit, circumferentially around the conduit between the conduit and the baffle, and up and out of the one or more gas outlets.   
     
     
         18 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve includes a tubular body, a lower cap, and a lower mounting ring coupled to the lower cap and including a radially inwardly extending mounting flange carried by a stepped outlet end of the conduit. 
     
     
         19 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 14 , further comprising an endcap carrier carrying the endcap underneath the conduit, and an endcap actuator to move the endcap carrier and the endcap between a closed position covering an outlet of the conduit and an open position exposing the outlet of the conduit, wherein the endcap carrier includes a pivotable arm, and the endcap actuator includes a rotary and linear actuator coupled to the pivotable arm and mounted to the sleeve of the conduit carrier. 
     
     
         20 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 14 , further comprising an endcap carrier carrying the endcap underneath the conduit, and an endcap actuator to move the endcap carrier and the endcap between a closed position covering an outlet of the conduit and an open position exposing the outlet of the conduit, wherein the endcap is a split endcap and the endcap carrier is a split endcap carrier, and wherein the endcap actuator includes a first actuator to move the split endcap carrier up and down, and a second actuator to move halves of the split endcap carrier laterally back and forth toward and away from one another. 
     
     
         21 . The molten glass transporter of  claim 14 , further comprising an accelerometer coupled to the conduit carrier or the conduit carrier mount, wherein the accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer to measure acceleration during receiving, transporting, and/or dispensing of molten glass charges, wherein accelerometer output is used to infer quality of receiving of glass charges, levels of vibration of the transporter during transport, and/or levels of vibration during dispensing of the glass charges. 
     
     
         22 . A method of transporting a molten glass charge, comprising:
 receiving a molten glass charge in a transport cup having a conduit and an endcap to selectively open and close the conduit;   supplying fluid into the transport cup to displace at least a portion of the glass charge away from at least a portion of the endcap and thereby establish a gap between the molten glass charge and the transport cup;   controlling an amount of the fluid in the transport cup between the molten glass charge and the transport cup; and   moving the endcap to permit the molten glass charge to exit the conduit.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 receiving the molten glass charge from a molten glass charge feeder; and   dispensing the molten glass charge into a blank mold having an inlet that may be located below, above, or level with, the molten glass charge feeder.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling step includes venting the fluid from the gap out of the transport cup through at least one exhaust vent between mating faces of split halves of the endcap. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling step includes venting the fluid from the gap out of the transport cup through at least one exhaust vent established between an outlet end of the conduit and an upper end of the endcap. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the endcap and the conduit establish an interior junction between the endcap and the conduit, and wherein the supplying step includes supplying fluid in a least one location proximate the interior junction to displace a portion of the molten glass charge away from the interior junction. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the supplying step includes supplying the fluid through a central portion of the endcap to displace at least a portion of the molten glass charge away from the central portion of the endcap, or supplying the fluid over an end surface of the endcap to displace the molten glass charge away from the end surface of the endcap. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising measuring acceleration during at least one of the receiving step, a step of moving the transport cup, or the step of moving the endcap to dispense the molten glass charge. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising modulating a flow of the fluid over time to produce different displacement forces on the molten glass charge, wherein the modulating step includes setting the flow of the fluid to an initial relatively higher flow rate when the molten glass charge is being received in the transport cup, and then to a sustained relatively lower flow rate when the molten glass charge is in a steady-state with respect to the transport cup. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising supplying pressurized gas to an outer surface of the conduit so that the pressurized gas flows diffusively through the conduit into the transport cup.